Rebecca Moser, Red Mountain High School
Red Mountain High School’s Rebecca Moser, Skyline High School’s Arisaid Gonzalez Porras, and Westwood High School’s Athena Le and Brianna Rangel have been awarded Student Community Service awards from the Mesa Citizen of the Year Association.
Each student received a $1,000 scholarship. Eligible candidates must complete at least 150 service hours during high school and demonstrate a commitment to lifelong community service.
Rebecca plans to attend Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University (ASU). She will double major in marketing and supply chain management. She hopes to become a director for a local nonprofit organization. Rebecca is president of Lion Link Crew and a member of the Red Mountain Band leadership team and track team. She also volunteers with Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY).
Arisaid Gonzalez Porras, Skyline High School
“Helping my peers and those younger than me has been extremely rewarding,” Rebecca said. “I love to watch those around me improve and believe in themselves. Throughout my experiences, I have learned compassion and how to give by serving others.”
Arisaid hopes to attend the University of Pennsylvania or ASU to pursue a double major of political science and linguistics. After that, she would like to attend law school and own a law firm. Arisaid is actively involved in activities, such as Paw Pals Club, Elements N’ Motion and We the People.
“There is always time in our schedules, no matter how busy one is, to volunteer,” she stated. “Volunteering changes people’s lives and transforms the volunteer.”
Athena Le, Westwood High School
Athena plans to study finance at a four-year university. She hopes to become a financial analyst for World Bank to help solve community and global problems. She participates in several school activities, including Math Club, Chinese Culture Club and National Honor Society.
“My experiences have taught me that no matter who or how I help, I will still make a difference,” Athena said. “From celebrating Christmas with children at the local Child Crisis Center, to helping children in China gain access to books, no act of kindness is inconsequential.”
Brianna Rangel, Westwood High School
Brianna plans to study occupational therapy at Grand Canyon University. She wants to work with children who have special needs as an occupational therapist. Brianna is active in HOBY, student council, Shun the Sun Foundation and more.
“When I began high school, I was shy and not involved,” she stated. “Once I risked the first step in getting involved, I started realizing how much I liked it. From there, I became more and more involved and took on greater positions of leadership. It also is through volunteering that I learned what I wanted to do with my life.”
For more information about all Mesa Public Schools, please visit mpsaz.org.